For more than a decade, Carol Smart has been at the forefront ofdebates about the sociology of the family. Yet she has becomefrustrated by the fixation of many commentators with the supposeddecline of commitment, and even the decline of the possibility offamily life. In this exciting new book, she puts forward a new wayof understanding families and relationships.Breaking with conventional wisdom, her book offers a freshconceptual approach to understanding personal life, which realignsempirical research with theoretical analysis. She gives emphasis toideas of connectedness, relationality and embeddedness, rejectingmany of the assumptions found in theories of individualisation andde-traditionalisation by authors such as Beck and Beck-Gernsheim,Bauman and Giddens.Instead, her approach prioritises the bonds between people, theimportance of memory and cultural heritage, the significance ofemotions (both positive and negative), how family secrets work andchange over time, and the underestimated importance of things suchas shared possessions or homes in the maintenance and memory ofrelationships.This ground-breaking text will be essential reading for anyonewho cares about the future of families and personal relationships,and who wants to understand this most intimate area of sociallife.

Acknowledgements.Introduction.1. A sociology of personal life.2. The cultural turn in the sociology of family life andliving.3. Emotions, love and the problem of commitment.4. Connections and cultures of tradition.5. Secrets and lies.6. Families we live with.7. Possessions, things and relationality.8. Conclusion.References.Index